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| Chapter IX. High Esteem in which Martin was held.
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Chapter IX.
High Esteem in which Martin was held.
Nearly about the same
time, Martin was called upon to undertake the episcopate of the church
at Tours;21
| 21 The Turones occupied
territory on both sides of the river Loire. Cæsar refers to
them (Bell. Gall. ii. 35, &c.). Their chief town was
named Cæsarodunum, the modern Tours. | but when he could not easily be drawn forth
from his monastery, a certain Ruricius, one of the citizens, pretending
that his wife was ill, and casting himself down at his knees, prevailed
on him to go forth. Multitudes of the citizens having previously been
posted by the road on which he traveled, he is thus under a kind of
guard escorted to the city. An incredible number of people not only
from that town, but also from the neighboring cities, had, in a
wonderful manner, assembled to give their votes.22
| 22 It is clear from this
passage that the people at large were accustomed in ancient times to
give their votes on the appointment of a bishop. |
There was but one wish among all, there were the same prayers, and
there was the same fixed opinion to the effect that Martin was most
worthy of the episcopate, and that the church would be happy with such
a priest. A few persons, however, and among these some of the bishops,
who had been summoned to appoint a chief priest, were impiously
offering resistance, asserting forsooth that Martin’s person was
contemptible, that he was unworthy of the episcopate, that he was a man
despicable in countenance, that his clothing was mean, and his hair
disgusting. This madness of theirs was ridiculed by the people of
sounder judgment, inasmuch as such objectors only proclaimed the
illustrious character of the man, while they sought to slander him. Nor
truly was it allowed them to do anything else, than what the people,
following the Divine will, desired23
| 23 We here adopt
Halm’s reading “cogitabat,” in preference to the
usual “cogebat.” | to be
accomplished. Among the bishops, however, who had been present, a
certain one of the name Defensor is said to have specially offered
opposition; and on this account it was observed that he was at the time
severely censured in the reading from the prophets. For when it so
happened that the reader, whose duty it was to read in public that day,
being blocked out by the people, failed to appear, the officials
falling into confusion, while they waited for him who never came, one
of those standing by, laying hold of the Psalter, seized upon the first
verse which presented itself to him. Now, the Psalm ran thus:
“Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected
praise because of thine enemies, that thou mightest destroy the enemy
and the avenger.”24
On these words being
read, a shout was raised by the people, and the opposite party were
confounded. It was believed that this Psalm had been chosen by Divine
ordination, that Defensor25
| 25 The word translated
“avenger” in the English A.V. is “defensor” in
the Vulgate, and thus the man referred to would have seemed to be
expressly named. | might hear a testimony
to his own work, because the praise of the Lord was perfected out of
the mouth of babes and sucklings in the case of Martin, while the enemy
was at the same time both pointed out and destroyed.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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